“There’s nowhere to run, boy. There’s Rot in you already. But there is also slim hope. If you will stand fast and listen to what we have to offer.”

Part Five

“The thing that has twisted Oscar and has Jack, the thing that has infected you with its myriad corruptions…and though I see you want to deny it, we assure you it is true, you are tainted…that thing, among other names, is called the Rot. It is a force of decay and chaos and entropy older than this world.”

This was the start of my conversation with a group of small monsters dressed in rat armor outside of the Red House, and for whatever reason, most likely shock or my mind finally coming free from whatever moorings it had left, I wasn’t bothered by the fact. I was so far into the dark of this terrible night that the twin lights of what was normal and what was sane were little more than faintly glowing ghostmarks in the distant, hollow black. Instead, I was only concerned with understanding. If I was going to help anyone, I needed to know what exactly in the fuck was going on.

“So it’s like an alien?”

The spokesman shook its fleshy head in a vaguely human fashion. “No, not alien. It is from this Realm of Creation and has always been here since the stars first flared to life and began to die. In many ways, it is far more natural to this place than we are.” Its voice was rough but delicate, with nuances of thought and emotion woven through every word and phrase. Listening to it reminded me faintly of the way some music can provoke deep feelings, though its voice wasn’t very melodic. Still, when it spoke next, tiny figure or not, I couldn’t help but feel a tiny thrill of fear and awe. These creatures were small, but they were powerful. Important. And the anger and contempt in the leader’s voice was not to be taken lightly.

“But just because it is natural does not make it good. To the contrary, it is one of the most destructive forces in the infinity of your universe.”

I frowned. “Why? How? What is it? Just rotting? Everything rots, right? How is that fucking up these guys?” Swallowing I added, “How is it tainting me?”

The tiny creature folded its armored claws together in front of it with solemnity. “It is not the normal decay of matter or energy we are dealing with, Jeff. This is an entity. A being of great power and an implacably malign will. In many ways, it could be thought of as a lesser god, though it has few that worship it for one simple reason. It does not rely on belief for its power and it takes what it wants by force.”